Malaysia has signed a deal with Australia to strengthen their collaboration for searching the ill-fated Malaysian flight MH370, which disappeared midair over five months ago with 237 people aboard.

Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, who is leading the Malaysian delegation to Canberra, signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.

“The signing is to further solidify our collaboration and commitment to find the aircraft,” Liow said.

He stressed that MH370 remained a top priority for the Malaysia.

“Continuing with the search remains our focus. We have maintained our resolve in searching for the aircraft,” he said.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, left the KL International Airport at 12. 41 am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later over the South China Sea.

It was to have arrived in Beijing at 6.30 am on the same day. A massive multinational search was launched for searching the aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then along two corridors.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced on March 24 that Flight MH370 “ended in the southern Indian Ocean”.